The Ice Age Continues It's Sweep?
by Forever Young
Summary: Same story, only now it's being revamped to match up with the end of Ice Age: The Meltdown. Therefore I suppose it's safe to say there are slight spoilers to the movie. OK, I updated the whole rest of the story, from ch 8 and on to the end
1. The Human's Journey

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Ice Age (I or II) characters, just the one's you don't recognize are mine. Ask before you use them.

A/N: Basically it's still the same story I have had before since, well take a look at the publication date. I'm just revamping it to both line up with the end of Ice Age II: The Meltdown (so just due to that I guess it holds slight spoilers for the new movie) and incorporating (though not heavily) all of my made-ups (there still aren't many) into this one story. So the story will probably still even expand out a bit more beyond even the ending it had originally, so there's even more to look forward to for those of you who liked this story!

So now I give you the updated Chapters 1&2 to get us started!

Chapter 1

The harsh, stormy winds of another gale suspiciously similar to the ones the Ice Age of before had produced ripped across the barren wasteland. All places the sharp winds touched were barren either due to the fact that the spot was desolate of creatures, it's former occupants having migrated farther south from the icy winds, or what creatures had remained were now buried under the snow. Now the stormy winds were moving farther on, seeming to peruse those fleeing it.

One lone figure stood, watching as the winds approached. He turned and ran back towards the camp. Mata burst through into one of the tents. "We must move" he said. "This isn't just a winter storm, I fear the freeze of before may be coming". The man he had spoken to, who was the leader of the tribe, stood up and nodded. He followed Mata outside and looked where the man pointed. "Men" he said to the others who had come out of their tents "Pack up. We will be moving farther south" he said. "Roshan!" he called to a boy off playing "Come here!".

As the boy ran towards them, Mata touched the arm of his friend. "The storm will only follow us the more we headed south" he said. The man nodded "I realize that, but all we can do is avoid it and move away from it as it comes, hopefully it will die down soon and quite following us. You remember how a while back everything even began to melt and the ice sheets that were there even in the spring went away. I don't think after that this storm will stick". By now Roshan had reached where the two men were standing. "Yes Dad?" he said. "We will be moving farther south soon" his father said "You should get ready". "Ok" the boy said, he ran off towards his tent.

Roshan entered the tent and there he found an older boy somewhere around 14 already milling about and packing stuff up. He smiled at the older boy, "Hey Tipa, we're moving" he informed him. The older boy, Tipa, smiled, "Yeah I heard" he answered, then turned his attention to packing up some of his stuff he had in the tent. Roshan also packed up what little he had. It mainly consisted of little wooden animals one of the tribesmen had carved for him to practice hitting. Roshan was 9 years old now, meaning soon he could actually go on a hunt to watch the elders hunt and learn how it was done. As he packed and thought of this, Roshan glanced over at Tipa.

Back somewhere around when he had been just born, both Roshan's mother, Nadia, and another member of the tribe, Mata, had stumbled upon the small, orphaned boy of about 5 stumbling about, seriously wounded from what appeared to have been a run in with a mammoth. Where as there hadn't been any official adopting of the boy, Nadia had seen to it to watch out for the boy and treated him just as if he were her own son. The boy had even taken it upon himself since the first day of his regaining consciousness after his rescue to look after and entertain Roshan so much it was as if he had adopted the baby as his own little brother himself.

It hadn't been but over a year after that that both of the boy's, as well as the chief of the tribe, Runar, lost Nadia to a saber attack. All three of them had from then on been pressing on as best they could. Nadia herself would probably have seen to it that the boy didn't go unnamed for too long had she survived long enough, but she hadn't and the only name the boy had received for the longest time was when Mata began nicknaming the boy as the tribe's "little messenger" since he seemed to always be the one rushing back to the tribe with news and proclimations.

The nickname had stuck and the poor boy was given little more of a name for a period of time, though their chief just always referred to him by calling him "son", and if this title of his was an inadvertent attempt of his own to take the boy in as his wife and son had done, Runar didn't let on. It had been Roshan himself who had come up with the name Tipa. It had happened when the younger boy was only 4 years old and "Tipa" was 9. Roshan's father had told him many stories about his mother and somehow the news had slipped in one of these stories that, had they ever had another boy, Runar and Nadia had planned to name him Tipa.

In his innocent, child-like logic and due to his strong attachment to this older boy who was nice to him and let him tag along with him, never viewing him as a pest, Roshan had suggested that since he wasn't likely to get a younger brother with his mother gone, why not give the name to their "little messenger" who needed a name and was like his older brother. and thus, Tipa had received his name.

Roshan shook his head as he came out of these thoughts and reflections on Tipa. More like came out of them when another slight question hit him. For as long as he, and the rest of the tribe, had known him, Tipa had shied away from any suggestions on the tribe teaching him to hunt or taking him out with them. Even now, at 14, the boy still showed no interest in helping the men out and Roshan wondered why, to him the day he got to help the men in the hunt was what he looked forward to the most.

The 9 year old boy decided to finally ask his older brother about it. "Hey, uh Tipa?" he asked. Tipa paused in his packing and turned back to him, "Yeah?". Roshan swallowed, "Why...why don't you ever want to help the men with the hunt?". Tipa looked taken aback by the question and then glanced down. There was silence for the longest time and Roshan was afraid he might have done somthing wrong by asking.

Tipa eventually answered him though, "I...Roshan I'm not against hunting per see" he said, "It's just...I mean I understand it's necessary and that's fine...it's just...I can't" he whispered. Roshan stepped forward and placed a hand on the older boy's shoulder, "I'm sorry, forget I asked" he said. Tipa shook his head, "No it's fine, you didn't do anything wrong" he answered, "It's just...I guess I was traumatized to early on to hunt, that's all" he said as he sent a reassuring smile Roshan's way.

Roshan looked curious as to what Tipa meant by this, yet suddenly his father, Runar, walked in. "Ready?" he asked. After a slight nod from Tipa to let him know he was fine, Roshan turned his full attention his father's way, "Ready" the boy replied as he shouldered his pack. When the three of them emerged from the tent Runar quickly packed it up and they set off with the rest of the tribe. As the headed out, Tipa whispered over to Roshan, "I'll tell you the story later on, when we have more time". Roshan nodded, a smile coming across his face at the prospect of this story from Tipa.

Even though the storm hadn't caught up with them, trekking over the snow that was already on the ground was tricky. The men handled it fairly well, but Roshan slipped and fell a few times. His father couldn't help but smile as he watched his son flounder along (although Tipa was right there besides the boy to try and help him not fall). He looked so much like a toddler taking his first steps. His first steps! Runar sighed, he hadn't been there for that. He did remember the first steps he saw his son take, but even then he could tell those were the child's second steps, not his first.

He remembered watching as the little toddler pushed himself up and walked across the camp, towards him. The others were ecstatic, saying how good the boy was doing, and on his first time too. But his father knew, the child wasn't skillful naturally, he was skillful because he had already had a feel of what walking was like. "So, were any around for your first steps, Roshan?" he thought "Was there anyone there to cheer you on and praise you as I would have done? or was that milestone in your life unnoticed?". Roshan noticed his father staring at him. He smiled. "it's a little rough going" he said, trying to sound grown-up, unfortunately right as he said this he slipped and fell face down in the snow. The others tried not to laugh as Runar walked over and picked him up. "You'll get the hang of it" he said wiping snow from Roshan's face.

As they continued on suddenly Mata noticed a mammoth herd traveling a ways off. He raised his bow and prepared to strike. "Mata!" both Roshan and Tipa yelled "No". They both ran up to the man "You know what Dad says" Roshan said sternly. Mata sighed "Oh right" he said sarcastically "We don't kill them out of respect for their kindness". The others laughed. Roshan narrowed his eyes at Mata. "Dad says I owe my life to one of their species" he replied "and so we respect all mammoths, and never kill any". Mata snickered "Surely you don't believe that old story" he said. "Old Story!" Runar said as he walked up. You were there when the mammoth that saved Roshan brought him to me as a baby were you not?". Mata looked at his friend "I was there when we found a mammoth with the child" he replied "But that doesn't mean he was saved by it, for all we know that mammoth kidnapped Roshan".

Tipa shook his head at this, "No..." he said to himself, "He looked so familiar...He wouldn't have done that, he saved Roshan, I know he did".

"No No" Roshan's father replied to Mata "I told you, Roshan was lost when the sabers attacked our camp. The mammoth brought him back to us". Mata sighed "Believe what you want" he said, "but why would any of the creatures out there care to save one of our children when we are the ones that kill their kind. I mean really, would you save a cub that belonged to the sabers that killed your wife!". Ruanr looked shocked at this and Roshan turned away, not wanting to remember how he had heard his mother died. His father said they found her in a river, drowned after the sabers drove her off a cliff.

Runar considered the question then sighed "I don't know" he said. Then he turned to the others "Let's continue on before the storm catches up!" he said. As they walked on Roshan held his father's hand. "Do you think the mammoth that saved me is out there?" he asked, looking at the herd. His father smiled "I doubt it" he said "I didn't see the mammoth with a herd, he seemed to be a loner". Roshan nodded and Tipa smiled a sad smile, his thoughts a thousand miles away on a subject none of the tribe could guess.

The wind howled on as the humans continued their journey South. 


	2. The Herd's Journey

Chapter 2 

The storm had also been noticed by the group of migrating animals who had been more than comfortable with the warmer weather of before. The scary thought that this storm could be as bad as the Ice Age of before was in every animals mind yet went unspoken, and had it ever been actually spoken the culprit would probably have been pelted by more than one individual. So, it was without word, yet in complete agreement from all that one by one each family group or herd joined up in the migrating group and trudged on farther south. As the group passed, their foot steps shook a nearby tree. The tree was nearly empty except for one sloth sleeping on it. As the tree rattled to the rhythm of the thundering hoofs, the sloth, Sid, woke up. He rubbed his eyes and watched the migrating herds pass.

"Hm" he said "Where are they going? Oh yeah, the cold blasts that have been coming through..". Sid shrugged "Well I guess it's the end of our good times here" he sighed disappointed, "Oh well, lets get started Junior" he finished. When no response came, Sid looked around him. "Junior!" he called to his little brother. Sid started looking around frantically. He climbed up to the top of the tree and looked around. "Excuse me" he said to a group of armadillos, "Have you seen a little sloth, cutest little kid in the world, looks like this". Here Sid made a baby face. The armadillo's looked shocked at Sid's facial expression then looked at each other. "Yeah, I saw a young sloth" one of them said "but he waddled off with the group hours ago". Sid looked downcast as the armadillos continued their journey.

Oh no! Sid thought. He had been abandoned by his family...again! And here Sid always thought Junior was the one member of his family that **did **like him! Sid scrambled down the tree desperately. "Please Junior! come back!" he yelled. Hoping that somehow his brother might hear him even though he was miles away. "I promise I won't bath you in tar again" Sid continued.

Sid jumped down off the tree and began to run around frantically trying to find any sign of where Junior might have gone. Suddenly a shadow loomed over Sid and something pounced on him. "Go on!" Sid yelled "Eat me! I have nothing left to live for!". A quiet chuckle was the sloth's only reply. Sid glanced at what had pounced him and found-- "Diego!" Sid yelled, he sighed as Diego got off of him and let him stand up. "You are too easy!" the tiger commented.

The two possum brother, Eddie and Crash, were quick to rush over. Mainly because any event where Diego was pouncing someone other than them was a welcome occurrence, as was any event where Sid got scared or slightly (but not too severely) hurt. "Oh wow! You got him good!" Crash exclaimed,. "Yeah" Eddie was quick to agree, "Wow Sid, you really are gonna get eaten one of these days asking for it like that!".

Sid pretty much ignored the possums and looked annoyed at Diego, "Well, I'm glad you had your little fun, but we have a crisis here! Where's Manny?" Diego shrugged, "I haven't seen either him or Ellie this morning. He they must have gotten up early or something." he said. Sid sighed.

Just then a commotion was heard from the migrating animals. "Not again!" someone yelled. Diego and Sid looked over at the migrating group and saw a wooly mammoth walking the opposite way through them. "Manny! There you are!" Sid yelled. Manny didn't seem to hear them, he continued walking through the group. "I will not put up with this again!" someone yelled. Manny looked down and noticed the same pig-like thing that had yelled at him before all those many years ago. "You again, huh?" he said, slightly annoyed. "Yeah" the pig thing yelled "and you still need to move your issues off the road!".

Manny bent down slightly to stare the creature straight in the eye. The pig thing looked slightly shocked finding himself staring eye to eye with a mammoth and being between two huge tusks. "Look" Manny said annoyed "You may have a family, despite being so overjoyed when your mate fell off that ice cliff" he added, looking like that occurrence annoyed him more than he already was, "but if you say one more rude remark I promise I **will **hurt you!".

"Whoa, whoa, hold up there traffic cop!" a female mammoth's voice rang out and soon Ellie herself came over to the scene. She looked amused yet stern as she just fixed Manny with a stare. There was something about that stare, it always broke down Manny's defenses and could make him feel guilty over even the smallest little thing. Manny backed up a bit from the pig thing and smiled sheepishly, "I...I was just".

Ellie waved her trunk, "I don't even want to know". She turned her gaze back down to the pig thing, "You can go on ahead, and I'm sorry that the gentlemamooth here had to be so extremely rude to you". The pig thing looked satisfied, yet in a gloating sort of way, and strutted past with his nose held high. Manny sighed as that creature and the other migrating animals made their way past. "Ellie" he groaned frustrated that she had had to interrupt, "You haven't bumped into that guy like I have before, he's a real...".

"Uh, uh, uh!" Ellie cut Manny off with another wave of her trunk before he could say the word, "We don't want the children here picking up any bad words" she added, indicating with her trunk to where Sid, Crash and Eddie were nearby. They had started a habit of using the term "the children" whenever referring to Sid, Crash or Eddie's bad and or immature qualities. Ironically young Junior himself was so...not like those three that even despite his young age he escaped these references.

"Guys we have an emergency!" Sid screamed as he rushed up. "Junior, ran away". "That's actually not a surprise" Manny said. Ellie slapped him lightly with her trunk to let him know that that was an insensitive statement. "What I was kidding!" Manny argued.

Sid stopped pouting and looked determined. "But, it was an accident. Junior just got lost and probably misses me terribly and I must be brave in order to get back to him!". Manny and Diego looked at each other. "He still lives in his little fantasy world" Diego said. Manny nodded. "So, when do we head out?' Sid asked. "Head our where?" Diego asked.

"Head out to find Junior!" Sid exclaimed. "Oh" 'Diego said, uninterested, "We don't". "What!" Sid screamed. Ellie frowned, "Now really..." she began. Diego interrupted though as he turned back to face Sid, "The way I see it, Junior has abandoned you just like the rest of your family did years ago. So, just forget about him". "You say that so sympathetically" Manny commented. Diego grinned, "It's just a talent of mine!". Ellie just rolled her eyes at the guys' behavior

"But we can't just forget about him!" Sid cried. "I should say not!" Ellie agreed, giving both Diego and Manny a look like they should be ashamed of themselves, "Why I know that if either of my brother's here got lost I wouldn't rest until I found them!" she continued, indicating Crash and Eddie. The two possum's looked touched.

Manny sighed, 'Oh alright, if Sid'll just stop complaining, we'll try to find Junior". Sid grinned widely and leapt on Manny's trunk, "Oh thank you!" he cried. Manny shook Sid off of him.

Sid hit the ground but then leapt back up again. "I was sitting on something!" he said. "Yes" Diego said as if he were talking to a baby "It's called snow". Sid looked insulted. "Not that!" he said. "Something under the snow". Sid walked over and started digging in the spot he had been sitting on. Manny, Diego, Ellie, Crash and Eddie all watched interested. Soon Sid had uncovered something. "Ahhhh!" he screamed as he ran behind Manny.

"What is it?' Manny asked. Sid pointed. "D--D--Dead" he stuttered. Diego and Manny walked up and investigated whatever it was that had frightened Sid. They looked shocked. There in the snow was the skeleton of a Saber Tooth Tiger with a spear through it's ribs. Crash and Eddie themselves now looked scared and darted behind Ellie. Manny sighed and Diego shook his head. "Humans" they said. Ellie just looked sympathetic but didn't say anything. Sid was still staring at the skeleton bug eyed.

Diego soon noticed something about the spear though. "Wait a minute" he said. "There are teeth marks on the end, like some other tiger tried to pull it out and--" Diego gasped and stepped back. "What is it" Manny asked. "Those are Soto's teeth marks!" Diego whispered. "Soto?" Sid asked, "Isn't that the mean tiger that tried to kill us". Diego nodded. "He was the leader" he said.

Diego then glanced around the landscape and his eyes narrowed. "This is where it happened" he said. "What do you mean?" Manny asked. "This is where those humans slaughtered half our pack" Diego snarled.

He raised his paw and swiped the spear away from the skeleton in anger, cutting his paw in the process. Sid rushed over to where Diego was and started putting snow on his paw. "There we go buddy" he said. "All better". Diego looked at his friend but didn't say anything.

Manny walked up. "It was the baby's herd, wasn't it" he said. Diego nodded, "His father mainly, that's why Soto wanted revenge on him". Manny sighed. The baby should be around 8 or 9 years old by now, and the mammoth wondered if his herd had corrupted him yet.

Manny glanced up and noticed a strong wind was approaching. He squinted towards the horizon. "We have to move south again" he said. Diego and Sid looked at him. "Again?" Sid said, "But we are south". Manny sighed "We have to go FARTHER south" he said. "The freezing storm will catch up with us here". Manny then smiled as he added "Change of seasons, migration instincts--any of this ringing a bell?". Sid crossed his arms as Manny teased him with the words that he had said to him when they first met. "Sarcasm is not appreciated!" he said.

"Your just cranky because Junior deserted you" Diego said, standing up and putting his painful memory behind him.

"Junior did not desert me!" Sid shouted. "He ran away and is horribly lost without me". Diego sighed. "Poor sloth's in denial" he said to Manny. "let him live with his denial" Manny said. "He'll be crushed enough when we find his brother and he tells him to scram." "Oh, that'll be lovely!" Diego said. Ellie sighed, "Well if you boys are gonna put such a negative spin on it, I dare say poor Sid will be crushed. Let's all just try and stay positive and cross that bridge when and if we get there".

As Manny and Diego just sighed at this unrealistic, hopeful optimist view and the group started on their journey, Sid was still mumbling to himself about how much Junior needed him. "And I will pull him out of his misery by appearing right when he has given up hope!" he said.

"Come on" Manny said. "were moving south, or have you forgotten already?". Sid snapped to attention, "Coming" he yelled as he ran after the group. "Hey Manny, can I get a ride?" Sid asked. "No!" Manny said. "Please" Sid asked. "No!" Manny said. "Oh, pretty please!". "Sid!" Diego and Manny yelled. "Alright alright!" Sid said. Then after a moments silence. "Can I get one later?".

The storm continued to roar after this second group traveling away from it.


	3. Left Behind

Chapter 3

The tribe trudged on through the snow. Roshan shook his feet as he walked, trying to make them stop hurting. Tipa didn't look like he was doing much better and let out long sighs of weariness every so often as he forced his feet to keep moving. They had been traveling for what seemed like days! "Are we almost there?" Roshan asked his father. His father smiled "We won't be completely south for a while" he said. "But don't worry, we will rest as soon as the storm lets up".

"What if it never lets up!" Roshan asked. "It will" his father said. He hopped his son couldn't see the doubt on his face. This storm had lasted much longer than he had thought it would. Mata had pointed this out many times!

Roshan's father turned to the tribe. He sighed as he watched the weary men trudge on, and poor Tipa and Roshan looked about ready to drop! He then glanced at the sky, maybe they could rest for a little while. After all, he didn't need the whole tribe fainting on him. "We will rest a little" he said "Don't unpack, we have to move on very quickly". Mata didn't look happy. "It's not a real rest if you have to hurry to do it" he said.

Roshan ran, as fast as he could in his condition, over to a tree and immediately sat down against the trunk. He sighed, it felt good to not be walking anymore. Tipa walked over to him and, taking off his outer hooded jacket, held it out to the boy. "Oh no, Tipa, I couldn't..." Roshan began to protest, waving for him to put it back on. Tipa grinned, "Take it, I'm fine and you look about ready to blend in with the snow caps" he said, indicating Roshan's shivering. With a sigh of defeat, Roshan reached out and took the jacket, "Thanks" he said. Tipa nodded satisfied. Suddenly one of the tribesmen called to him, "Hey Tipa, can you come show Mata here the proper way to get a fire going, we'll freeze by the time he does it". Mata's voice soon followed, "I don't need help!" he protested.

Tipa smiled, "I'm coming" he called, "I'll be back over" he told Roshan and then rushed off. Roshan watched Tipa rush off and then leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes as he relaxed. Now there was only one problem left. Roshan didn't know if he could get up when it was time to move on.

As he was sitting there, Roshan thought he felt little pin pricks on one of his legs, but that was probably just his muscles tingling from too much walking. The pin pricks stopped for a few seconds and then, suddenly something bit the boy. Roshan's eyes jerked open in surprise and he glanced down.

There on the ground was a little scrat looking very mad. The scrat yelled something at Roshan and when the boy didn't respond, the animal threw a nut at him and hit him in the head. "Hey!" Roshan said "Stop that!". The scrat continued to jump up and down yelling. Roshan rubbed his head and stared at the little animal. Scrat grabbed some nuts and one by one started pelting the boy. Roshan fended off the nuts with his arm, but he still got hit. Scrat saw that this attack wasn't producing any effect. He was really mad now, he ran over and bit Roshan again. "Hey!" The boy said as he scooted away a bit. He sat there rubbing his bit leg and observing the little animal. "When I learn how to hunt I'm gonna use you as my first target" Roshan said annoyed.

Scrat ran over to where Roshan had been sitting and started to dig. Roshan sat there and watched as the scrat dug deeper and deeper. Finally the little animal emerged with an acorn. "Oh" Roshan said. "I get it now, I was sitting on your acorn".

Scrat lugged the acorn onto his back and ran off. Roshan shook his head. That was one weird little animal! Roshan remembered how once, when he had found a baby armadillo, he told Mata he thought the poor thing was shy. Mata had laughed a bit. "Animals don't have personalities" he told the boy. Roshan smiled. This little scrat certainly had personality! "Hey Mata" he called "Come here--".

Roshan looked around. There was no one there! Surely the tribe wouldn't leave without him, would they! "Mata!" he called again. No answer. "Dad! Tipa!". Still no answer. Roshan jumped up, wrapped the jacket tighter around him and ran off in the direction opposite the storm. That was the way he knew the tribe was headed, and they couldn't have left that long ago, so he should catch up with them in no time.

Meanwhile, the tribe was pushing farther south, unaware that they were missing anyone. "I really should go check and make sure Roshan's not too bored" Tipa said to the group of tribesmen who were currently regaling him with the tale of their latest hunt. One of the men laughed, "Oh come on boy, the kid can walk without your help" he said in amusement to Tipa's always checking up on the boy. "Besides" he continued, "We haven't finished telling you about how we defeated that group of about five cave bears".

"You can't have defeated five cave bears, it's impossible!" Tipa said skeptically. "Well I tell you just as I'm standing here today, we did!" the tribesmen rebutted. The others joined in nodding their agreement and they were soon telling the teen all about it.

Roshan's father glanced back and saw the little hooded top of what he thought was Roshan's jacket. Ever since Roshan got lost as a baby, his father made sure to keep an eye on him. He usually did a good job too, except for this one time!

Junior glanced around him in wide eyed wonder. The little sloth was wrapped in a blanket and walking among the tribe of humans!

He turned slightly to stick his tongue out at two rhino's standing on a ledge looking at him. The rhino's glared at him and one of them prepared to charge. His friend stopped him though and the two of them walked off, hoping that the humans speared the little menace! 


	4. Hero in the Making

Chapter 4 

The group of Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Crash and Eddie continued on in their journey. "My feet are killing me!" Sid yelled. "Stop complaining" Manny said. "I've been listening to you complain since we left!".

"Well, maybe we'd get there sooner if some of us would hurry up!" Sid said. He turned around and yelled to Diego. "Come on, hurry up!". Diego glared at Sid as he limped along, then shook his head. "Funny how all those years ago, after I got hurt in the fight with Soto, my leg healed and I never got any more serious wounds until right before we decide to go look for Junior! Then I get maimed in the foot with a spear!". Sid turned around "So what's your point?" he asked. Diego shrugged, "Nothing much, just that you and that brother or yours are a jinx" he replied nonchalantly.

"Jinx! Me!" Sid exclaimed. "That would explain allot" Manny said. From where they were riding on top of Ellie, Crash and Eddie looked at each other and nodded, "Yeah I'd agree with that" Crash said.

Sid decided his best appeal was with Manny, "Aw, come on buddy, you know I'm not a jinx, right?" Sid said. Manny looked at Sid and then thought about that for--2 seconds. "Nope, your a jinx" he said. Ellie sighed, and turned to try and come to Sid's defense, but the sloth continued on, annoyed by Manny's comment.

"Well, fine!" Sid said, "But your still fat!". Diego wheeled on Sid and pined him to the ground "Are you talking to me!" he said. "N--no, I--was talking to Manny" Sid said. "Oh" Diego said as he got off of Sid and allowed the sloth to stand up.

Manny sighed "We've been over this, I'm not fat! It's the fur!". "It's ok, Manny" Sid said "We can find you a nice little anonymous group of fellow mammoths who are suffering as you are". Diego smiled at this "Poofy Mammoths Anonymous!" he said laughing. Ellie was slightly amused by that comment, but tried to hide it while Crash and Eddie, not as tactful as their sister, burst out laughing. Manny glared at Diego. Diego cleared his throat "Uh--sorry" he said.

"The only suffering I'm doing has to do with being around you" Manny said to Sid. Diego shook his head, smiling at this conversation, when he noticed something up ahead. "Hold up guys" he said "Look". Manny and Sid turned to look at what Diego pointed out as Ellie and the possum's came over next to Diego as well. There, a little ways in front of them, were two rhinos mumbling to themselves.

The group took a few steps nearer. "It's the same two!" Sid yelled "Let's not get too close!". Eddie looked from the sloth back to the rhinos, "Why, what's wrong with 'em?" he asked.

"Sid, were just going to ease around them and not bother them. Don't freak out and start something" Manny said. "I won't start anything" Sid said, "But they will by stomping my poor body into the ground". Eddie turned to Crash, "What are they talking about?" he asked. Crash just shrugged.

Meanwhile, the rhinos were complaining so much it wasn't hard for their voices to be heard by the group, "It will take me two years to recover from this!" one of the rhino's said to his companion. "Easy, Carl, easy" Frank said, "You don't want the death of a young sloth on your record, do you?".

The group perked up at this sentence and started listening closer. "But, I had twenty dandelions all piled up right here, then that--that--brat jumped into them like they were a pile of leaves or something!". Carl started breathing heavy and then burst out sobbing uncontrollably. "How pathetic!" Diego muttered.

"I'm never gonna get a dandelion" Carl sobbed, "Never Never Never!". 'It's ok" Frank said, "I saw the kid with a group of humans over there, if were lucky they'll put him out of his misery'.

Sid gasped, "What if it's Junior!" he cried. "Come on, let's get closer down there and check" Diego said. They walked over to where the rhino had pointed and looked around. "Found a print!" Diego called, as he came upon a foot print. Sid looked at it and smelled it a bit. "I'm no expert smeller, but I know Junior's scent and that's him!" Sid cried.

Crash grinned and leaned over to his brother, "I knew the kid stunk" he whispered. Diego glanced up at the possum, "You're one to talk" he mumbled. Crash sent the saber a skeptical look, not sure if that was a jab, but it better not have been.

"Well" Manny said, looking off in the distance, "The foot prints head off in that direction. The snow covers them up pretty quickly but we still have a good idea of what direction to go in". Diego glanced back "and the storm's still following" he said "So that's another good indication they went that way". Sid nodded and got a look of stoic determination on his face. "Then lets go!" he said. Sid started marching forward. The others followed, glancing at the sloth from time to time, amazed by how serious he had suddenly become.

Diego glanced up at Manny as they continued traveling, and whispered "So, you think Junior ran away or got lost?". Manny looked at Sid, then back at Diego "I've thought about that" he said. "Let's just hope his brother is devoted and simply got lost, because if Sid gets rejected one more time--I don't know what will happen!". Diego nodded. "It was bad enough that when we found his family close to 8 years ago they abandoned him. I thought for sure he'd crack then!".

"Oh my, how awful!" Ellie exclaimed. Manny sighed and nodded; "It was" he told her, remembering how devastated Sid had been when he first realized his family didn't like him as much as he thought they did. "I was actually relieved to hear that after Junior was born, he took an immediate liking to Sid." Manny finished.

Diego sighed, "To bad the family deserted him too, just because he wanted to stay around Sid". Manny nodded. "That's a bit low in my book, even for them". Diego nodded in agreement. "Gosh" Eddie said as he listened to all this, "Well you just point these sloths out if you see them again and we'll spit on 'em!".

Sid continued to march onward, thinking only of his poor brother. The little guy must be terrified, bound and chained by a group if awful humans! He could almost see the joy in Junior's eyes when he, the heroic older brother, burst into the herd of humans and saved the day!


	5. Lost and Found

Chapter 5

Roshan sighed as he glanced around. Doubt began to set in as the boy looked around at the barren landscape around him. He found that his feet hurt once again, but this time Roshan didn't want to stop. His tribe was already far away and if he stopped it would only succeed in causing him to lose his tribe even more and allow the storm to catch up.

Not that it wasn't extremely cold already. Roshan staggered a bit and tripped. He pushed himself up and sat on the snow. It was almost too much, With his feet aching. it was really tempting to just remain sitting there. Roshan was afraid he wouldn't be able to make himself stand up again. He glanced back at the approaching storm and sighed.

Roshan swallowed slowly while glancing at the storm, and found his throat was swollen with thirst. He swallowed more and more as he glanced around, looking for some bit of ice from a frozen lake. Roshan began to get worried was he glanced around. The boy sighed and laid his head in his hands.

He was startled to find his face felt cool with water when he puts his hands up to it. The boy glanced down and noticed his hands were wet. He looked confused until he looked down and noticed the hand print of where he had rested his hands in the snow. Oh yeah! Snow was like ice! It turned into water too!

Roshan scooped up a bit of snow and looked at it. It was still snow, but the boy knew there was water in it somewhere. He popped it into his mouth and smiled as the snow melted into water. He swallowed the melted snow and scooped up some more.

As the boy sat there quenching his thirst with snow, he noticed another problem. He was hungry too. Roshan sighed. This one was harder than the thirst problem. He glanced around and noticed that there wasn't any fruit around, meaning he would have to hunt in order to get food. Yet he hadn't even been on a hunting trip yet! He was only 9 and wouldn't start learning how to hunt until next year, when he was 10.

Oh well, to keep himself from starving, he'd have to teach himself. It sounded easy enough. Just take something sharp and run after an animal until your close enough to stab it. Roshan found a rock and picked up a stick. He started wheedling the end of the stick into a point on the rock. As he was doing this, the boy noticed a sloth out of the corner of his eye. He cringed a bit. Sloth's weren't a highly hunted animal for--obvious reasons. Yet the boy couldn't be picky when he was about to starve. He took his temporary spear and slowly crept towards the sloth.

Sid sighed as he scrounged around, looking for food for both himself and Manny. It was like Manny to make him go out and look for food while he sat there on his "poofy fur" and did nothing! Sid noticed some leaves way up in a tree. Well, that would have to do. He grabbed hold of the nearest branch and swung his feet up into another branch. Hanging there in sloth fashion, Sid reached up with one hand and grabbed a handful of leaves.

As he tugged them off of the branch, he caused himself to fall out of the tree. Sid hit the ground hard and moaned a bit before standing up and dusting himself off, with one hand though since the other one held the leaves. As he was dusting himself off, Sid heard a twig snap nearby. He looked up.

"Manny?" he said uncertainly. "Is that you pal? Did you decide to come help me out?". Sid glanced around nervously. Then he heard another twig snap over to his right. He jerked his head in that direction and saw a small human.

Roshan cringed as he stepped on the second stick. This was pathetic! All the true hunters of his tribe would probably laugh uncontrollably if they saw him. The boy looked towards the sloth and noticed he had been seen. Roshan sighed once more before charging after the animal.

Sid's eyes went wide as he saw the human run towards him. He screamed and ran away, scattering the leaves he had been holding everywhere. Roshan puffed a bit as he chased after Sid. The sloth dodged here and there through trees, trying to lose Roshan. The problem was that while Roshan couldn't dodge quickly through the trees, he could atleast dodge through them. Sid was a little less graceful, slamming face first into every tree he dodged around.

Bruised and bleeding, Sid finally spotted the group in the distance. "Manny! Diego! Help me!" he screamed. Manny, Ellie, Diego Crash and Eddie looked up and looked shocked at the sight of Sid. The sloth finally reached them and ran behind Manny. "He's gonna kill me!" he screamed pointing. Everyone looked where Sid was pointing and saw a small human staggering towards them. He looked exhausted. Diego noticed something else though.

"Sid, that's a young human" he said. "He looks like he's only 8 or 9. He can't possibly be a threat". Sid's eyes went wide "8 or 9! That's not young! That's old!" he said. Manny rolled his eyes. "Humans ages are different than ours" he said "8 or 9 years old is still a kid with humans". Sid looked shocked "Really!" he said.

Meanwhile Roshan had exhausted himself out by chasing Sid when he hadn't eaten. The boy staggered closer to the group. Crash and Eddie ducke down behind Ellie as the six of them watched the boy slowly approached. He looked awful! When he reached them, Roshan stood there, unaware of his surroundings and woozy. He dropped the stick he had been using as a spear and began to faint.

Almost as a reflex, Manny reached his trunk out and caught the boy as he fell. Ellie glanced over at him, a bit shocked by the action, and then back down at teh boy. Roshan glanced up from where he lay on Manny's trunk. He smiled before fainting again.

Manny smiled a little. He suddenly remembered that little human baby they had found years ago and how the baby had tripped in the cave and fallen on his trunk, just like this boy had. This boy acctualy reminded him alot of that little baby.

Manny was suddenly hit with a wierd sense. Wait! The boy. It couldn't be! 


	6. Reunions and Meetings

Chapter 6

Manny gently set the boy down on the ground and stared at him. He turned to Diego and Sid. "Remember that baby we found that we returned to the humans" he said. Diego and Sid nodded. Manny pointed to Roshan with his trunk. "I think this is him".

Diego and Sid looked shocked. Ellie and the possums looked confused. "Really!" Sid said. He began jumping up and down with joy. "I don't know" Diego said. He walked up closer to Roshan and sniffed him suspiciously. Diego looked surprised and stepped back. "It's impossible! Yet, it's the same kid alright" he said. Manny nodded, "I thought so".

"What are you boys talking about!" Ellie asked, "you know this human?". Crash looked shocked at the prospect, "Oh please Sis!" he said, "The posibility that these three could know a vile, good for nothing...". Diego and Manny both cleared their throats at the same time. "Actually" Diego said, narrowing his eye, "We do know him, and we don't take kindly to insults". Crash backed up slightly at the tigers look, yet then realized that Diego was just being, well Diego and the possum crossed his arms, "Well sorry!" he said rudely.

"A while back, 8 or 9 years go to be exact, when the three of us first became a group, it sort of happened because we found a human baby" Manny explained to Ellie. "We had to return him to his herd, and this is the same kid". Ellie nodded, "Oh". She walked closer to the boy, with her possum brothers still looking a bit nervouse. Ellie looked at him a bit and then smiled, "Well he seems like a fine little human" she said with a smile.

She reached out with a females maternal charms and swept some of Roshan's hair back from his face, then smiled again, "Oh why he's just the cutest!" she exclaimed. Manny smiled.

"Oh Boy" Sid cried, positively beaming with this whole situation. "I hoped I'd be able to see the little tyke again! Sid started to walk towards Roshan when he stepped on something. Picking it up, he noticed it was the kid's spear made of a stick. "Wait!" Sid cried, remembering how the kid had chased him. "If that's the baby, then why was he trying to kill me!" he shouted. Manny sighed. "His herd's corrupted him" he said, looking at Roshan with pity. Sid backed away. "You mean he's a hunter now!" he asked.

"Should have known!" Crash muttered, but this time Ellie shot him a look and even Eddie looked doubtful of his brother's statement, "Well gee Crash, that was a bit harsh!" he said. Crash sighed at his two siblings, obviously he was becoming outnumbered in his suspicion of this human.

"Speaking of his herd, where are they?" Diego asked, then he answered his own question. "Don't tell me the kid's lost again!" he cried. Manny smiled. "Humans aren't the best at keeping up with their young" he said. "Apparently" Diego replied. "Well then, we'll just return him again" Sid said. Crash looked shocked at this decleration, "We're gonna what!" he asked.

Manny and Diego looked at each other. "Sid, I don't think we can track two human herds" Diego said. Sid stared at his friend. "What'd you mean two?" he asked. "We're already tracking the herd that stole Junior" Diego explained "Even with as good a tracker as me, we can't track both that herd and the kid's herd at the same time". Sid's face fell. "Oh yeah!" he said, "but we can't just abandon the kid!".

Manny nodded. "I'll regret ever saying this sentence but, Sid's right. We can't abandon the kid or Junior, We'll just have to track both herds the best we can". Crash put his head in his hands, Eddie turned to him, "What's with you?" he asked. Crash just shook his head at the ludicracy of this whole thing and didn't answer.

Just then Roshan came around again. He smiled as he glanced at Manny and Ellie, then he caught sight of Diego. His eyes went wide in fear at the sight of the Saber Tooth Tiger. He remembered what his father had told him about how his mother died when they were attacked by a pack of Sabers. Roshan put his fists up and sat there staring at Diego, breathing hard with anticipation that the saber would lunge at him.

Diego understood the child's actions and looked away. He had regretted attacking the boy's herd before, after he grew fond of him, and now that pain was coming back. Diego caught sight of his injured paw and sighed. He shouldn't have been so angry with the boy's herd earlier. Soto's anger at them years ago had cost the boy enough. It also hurt that the boy didn't remember Diego and saw him as just another Saber Tooth. When he was a baby, the child had thought Diego no more than a big kitty, and now he saw him as a killer.

Diego slowly approached the boy. Roshan backed away a bit, continually trying to punch Diego in the nose when he got to close. Diego turned to Sid. "So much for your faith that he might remember us" he said. Sid smiled. "Oh, he'll remember us" he said, walking up to pat Roshan on the head. "Just give him time". Roshan stared at Sid. Sid suddenly remembered what Manny had said about the boy being a hunter, and he backed away unsurely. Roshan reached his hand out and Sid cringed, fearing his life was over. Then he felt a hand on his head. He glanced up surprised to see the boy was smiling at him and patting him on the head.

Eddie looked intrigued by this and soon scampered down Ellie's trunk to approach the boy himself. "Eddie, what are you doing!" Crash called. Roshan turned from petting Sid and glanced at this small little rodent in curiosity a bit before smiling and picking him up. Eddie smiled as Roshan pet him a bit too, "Hey Crash, come on down here, this kids great!" he called. Crash just rolled his eyes. Ellie sighed and picked her other brother up, "Oh come on, be hospitable" she said, setting him down.

"Hey, wait, no! Put me back!" Crash protested as he was set down. Roshan smiled at this other rodent and scooped him up too. Crash winced, fearing his life was over much as Sid had. He quickly scampered up, attempting to escape and succeeding in sliding down the boy's arm. Roshan laughed and, picking the possum up again, let him slide down again. Crash hit the ground and then stood up, turning to look at Roshan, a grin spread on his face, "Oh wow! He actually let me use him for a slide! This kid is great!" he exclaimed. "I told ya!" Eddie called. Ellie smiled and shook her head.

Roshan's stomach rumbled. He turned his attention from the animals and held his stomach, looking sad. "The kid's hungry" Manny said. "Sid, go find him something to eat before he passes out". "Why me?" Sid asked. Manny turned to him with an annoyed look on his face. "Because we'll let him eat YOU if you don't!" he replied "Must you argue with me on everything!". "Fine mister moody mammoth" Sid said, looking mad as he walked off. Manny shook his head.

After Sid had gone, Diego decided to try one more time to help Roshan feel more at ease with him. He slowly approached the boy again, receiving the same reaction from the boy that he got last time. He stopped in front of Roshan and sat down. "Let's see if this jogs your memory" Diego said. He covered his eyes with his hands. "Not that again!" Manny muttered. Crash and Eddie tilted their heads in confussion as to what in the world Diego could be doing.

"Where's the baby?' Diego said in a baby tone. "He's not a baby anymore" Manny replied in the same tone Diego was using. Ignoring Manny, Diego continued. "There he is!' he said, uncovering his eyes. Roshan just stared at him, too surprised to be afraid. "Hmm, same affect as last time" Manny commented. Crash and Eddie side glanced at eachother before bursting out laughing, a quick look from Diego silenced them though.

Roshan continued to stare at Diego, there was something familiar about this peek a boo scene, but he couldn't think what. Just then Sid came running back with an apple. "This--is--all I could-- find" he panted. Roshan perked up at the sight of the apple and tried to grab it from Sid. Startled, Sid scurried backwards, flinging the apple at Roshan. "Here, take it!" he said. The boy picked the apple up off the snow and, dusting it off, sat there eating it.

Diego glanced back at the slowly approaching storm. "We can't stay put to long fellas" he said. "Finding two human herds and avoiding the Ice Age will be difficult". Sid glanced over at Roshan sitting on the snow eating his apple. "Why can't we just raise the little tyke ourselves" he whined. "How would you like it if the humans whom Junior is with 'just raised him themselves'" Manny asked. Sid looked away, "but--that's different" he said. Manny sighed. "Sid, us keeping the boy is no different than those humans keeping Junior, and you know it" he said.

Sid looked up pouting. "But I don't wanna wave bye bye to him again" he said, about to cry. Crash and Eddie looked about as down as Sid right now, "Yeah, the kids cool" Eddie said, whining slightly.

Manny sighed at the three of them. "I don't want to give him up either" he explained, "especially after seeing how his herd's corrupted him--but we have to". Diego looked down. "Yeah, but it'll still be hard" he agreed.

"So which herd do we track first?" Manny asked, "The kid's or the one that kidnapped Junior?" Diego thought a minute. "We're all fond of the kid" he said "But Junior's Sid's brother, so I think Sid should chose".

"Me!" Sid said, "But---I don't know!". The sloth stared at Roshan. "I'd hate for the kid to lose his herd forever--but--Junior's actually in danger--so we should find him first". Manny and Diego nodded.

"Ok, kid" Manny said, walking over to Roshan, "Time to go". He picked the boy up by the collar of his shirt and placed him on his back. Granted it was harder than it had been when the boy was a baby, but it still wasn't too hard. Roshan was startled by this, but didn't try to get down. Crash and Eddie quickly scampered up Manny this time to sit by the kid. Roshan simply munched the remainder of his apple and stared at both the possums, Manny, Ellie, Sid and Diego curiously as they continued to follow the footprints of the human herd that took Junior. Roshan especially watched Diego, since he didn't know how he felt about the saber yet. After all, Saber's were dangerous, they killed his mother, but this one hadn't lunged at him once! And then there was that Peek a Boo thing? Why did that seem familiar?

Roshan sighed and decided to not think about it right now. He threw his finished apple core away and it hit Manny in the head before hitting the ground. Sid picked up the core as he passed and began sucking on it. 


	7. Fun and a Lost Treat

Chapter 7

SNAP. Diego tried for the One Hundredth time to ignore the annoying sounds coming from behind him. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH. Diego cringed and looked over at Manny. "We have to do something!" he whispered, "Sid has been trying to eat that apple core since we started out!". Manny sighed and Roshan continued staring at Sid like he had since the sloth first started trying to eat the left over core.

Crash and Eddie were just staring at the sloth as well. "Wow...and I thought we'd already seen Sid reach his lowest "sloth stupidity" level" Crash said, "but this is one for the records!". Ellie frowned, "Boys, be nice!" she reprimanded.

"I tried to tell him apple cores aren't edible" Diego said, "but it didn't get through". Once again the horrible sounds continued. SNAP, as Sid finally managed to bite off a part of the core. Then the horrible crunching as he tried to chew it. "The only hope we have" Diego said "is if his teeth fall out he'll stop, but that could take too long--unless I help them come out!". The group stopped as Diego walked up to Sid, smiling.

"Hey Sid, want to play a game?" Diego asked. "Uh--were not going to play tag, are we?" Sid asked unsurely. "Oh no" Diego said, "This is a new game. Just smile REALLY big". "Ok", Sid stood there with a huge smile on his face. Manny shook his head as he watched the two of them. Ellie sent Manny a worried glance, but the other mammoth quickly reassured her with an eye roll that Diego wouldn't really go through with that he was thinking as Crash and Eddie just leaned forward, curious as to if the tiger would actually do it! "Now then" Diego said "Just keep smiling". The tiger made a fist and prepared to wham it forward with great speed.

Sid's eyes went wide as he finally understood what was happening. "Hold it!" he screamed. He caught Diego's paw and flung it away from him. It was hard to tell, but a groan of disappointment may have come from Crash as Diego's paw was flung away.

"That's just mean!" Sid said, "How would you like someone messing with your teeth". Sid suddenly leapt onto Diego's face and started yanking on his saber teeth. "Hey, get off" Diego roared. He began shaking his head from side to side trying to get the sloth off.

Manny rolled his eyes as he watched the scuffle and Roshan stared wide-eyed. He'd certainly never seen this before! "Hit him low Diego!" Crash yelled in support as the two tussled, "Yeah, that's it, whack him in the dirt a few times, that'll teach him!". Ellie meanwhile had a different battle cry, "Will you boy's knock it off!" she called, standing directly above Diego and Sid, "you're behaving like children!"

While this commotion went on, a small little saber tooth squirrel scampered over and sniffed the apple core Sid had dropped. "Hey!" Sid yelled as he spotted the little animal, "Get away from that!". "That looks like the little animal I saw before", Roshan thought.

The squirrel, Scrat, hoisted the core onto his back and began wobbling away with it. Sid jumped down from Diego's face and began chasing the little thief. "Why don't you stick to acorns and leave my treat alone!" Sid yelled. He was chasing the squirrel, when Sid suddenly heard a sound behind him. He turned around to discover that the boy was laughing at him! Crash and Eddie were joining in naturally, but the boy himself was actually sitting there laughing as well!

Roshan stopped laughing and simple looked down at Sid, smiling as the sloth walked back over to the group. Sid sighed. "Why is it that the kid only laughs when something's happening to me!" he said. "Don't know, it's a mystery" Manny said sarcastically.

Roshan suddenly slide off of Manny's back and ran over to a patch of snow. They had been traveling for a while and the boy needed something to ease his boredom. Sure, Sid's little core experience had helped to liven things up, but now the boy wanted to have fun with the sloth on his own. Roshan made a snow ball and then aimed right at Sid as he threw it. Crash and Eddie jabbed their arms into the air in excitement and shouted as they saw the fun that was about to be had as the snow ball flew.

Sid turned around right in time to see the snow ball coming and ducked, causing it to hit Diego. Roshan, Crash and Eddie all froze as the snow ball hit the tiger. The possum brothers both lowered their arms and hunkered down nervously and Roshan bit his lip as Diego turned around and looked at him. Diego sighed and began walking over to Roshan.

The boy tensed up with every step the tiger took. He wanted to run and hide, but he couldn't move. Diego continued walking closer until he stood right in front of the boy. Roshan wasn't sure if he was breathing anymore!

Diego scooped some snow into his paw and then dumped it onto Roshan's head. Feeling satisfied he walked back over to where the others stood. Crash chuckled nervously, trying to cover his previous fright, "Hehe, I knew you wouldn't' really do anything to the kid" he said, although he hadn't.

Roshan just stood there stunned. He'd felt for sure he was going to be killed. He brushed the snow off of him and slowly walked back over to the group himself.

He still avoided Diego as he walked around to the other side of Manny. He tugged gently on the mammoth's fur and looked up pleadingly at Manny, then at Diego. Manny smiled as he lifted the boy up. "Still not comfortable walking next to a tiger, huh?" he asked. As they continued their journey.

Sid smiled up at Roshan. "The kid's just as much fun as he was as a baby" he said. "I don't wanna give him back!" Sid whined. Manny sighed. "Didn't we talk about this!" he said. "Yes" Sid said as he pouted, "But it still doesn't mean I have to like it!". Crash and Eddie nodded as they each reached out to grip one of the boy's arms. Manny rolled his eyes and Ellie smiled, they were going to have a hard time of it ahead of them when they did finally find the boy's herd. 


	8. Remembering

Chapter 8 

The group found a cave to stay in and settled down for the night. "Alright kid" Manny said as he set Roshan down "Time to rest for the night". Diego found a place to lay down over in the corner of the cave and Sid sprawled out on top of a rock with his head tilted back and his mouth open.

Manny plopped down against the side of the cave, while Ellie and her brother's settled in against another side of the cave yet close to where Manny was. Manny was about to drift off to sleep when something woke him up. He glanced around and found that Roshan had curled up next to him. Manny smiled and lay back down. Liking this idea, Crash and Eddie scurried off of Ellie and over to curl up next to Roshan.

Ellie smiled and shook her head slightly, it looked like Crash and Eddie were attempting to adopt another brother into the family. Roshan smiled at the little possums, who weren't creepy or yucky it all to him, and moved over a bit to make a groove for them to fit into nicely next to him and against Manny. The boy then yawned and stretched and positioned himself once more before finally falling asleep.

_"Will you keep up please! It's hard enough to keep track of one baby." Roshan sat there as an infant exploring the slippery ice he was on. Suddenly he started sliding down a tunnel. The baby smiled as he went faster and faster._

_He reached the end of the tunnel and spun around slightly. He waved happily to the mammoth, sloth and saber tooth tiger that were standing there on the ice, before zooming on further down the tunnel._

_He thought he heard them scream as he zipped along. Roshan giggled as he zoomed down the ice tunnel. There was the faint sound of voices around him, then he bounced in the air for a while before shooting down another tunnel._

_There were more screams as apparently his traveling companions shot in the air as well. The infant was having so much fun on the miles of ice slides! Suddenly the sloth caught up to him and tried to grab him. "Gottcha!" he said but he missed and the child zoomed on._

_Roshan bounced into the air again only this time he was really in the air and he could see the mammoth down below him. He started falling again and the mammoth quickly grabbed him._

_Next there was a slight thud and snow flew everywhere. Roshan giggled happily. Suddenly the saber tooth tiger popped out of the snow. "Woho, yeah! Who's up for round two?". There was silence then the saber cleared his throat embarrassed. "Tell the kid to be more careful" he said._

Roshan woke up suddenly. That dream had been really weird. Weirder still was that somehow Roshan knew that this one had been a memory and not just a made up dream. Worst of all, this one memory brought back a flood of others. It was sorta overwhelming.

Roshan shook his head and glanced around him. He gasped as he saw the saber and sloth sleeping over on the other side of the cave. Could they possibly be the same ones! Just then Sid woke up and noticed that Roshan was awake.

"Hey kid, you ok?" he asked. Roshan just stared at him shocked. He had actually understood that! Sid shook his head, "of course Diego told me you humans can't talk" Sid said disappointed. Roshan walked up closer to the sloth, had he just said Diego? For some reason Roshan recognized that name--wait--they were the same group he was with as a baby!

Roshan smiled at the sloth, now what had the others called him again? They had yelled at him a lot so it shouldn't be too hard to remember. Oh yeah! Roshan tilted his head slightly as he fumbled out the name the way the others had said it. "Si-Sid?" he said.

Sid's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "Manny!" he screamed rushing over to the mammoth and shaking him roughly, "Manny, Manny, Manny! Get up!". Manny jolted awake, "What do you want!" he asked. Diego and the ohters was also awake by now since Sid had been screaming at the top of his lungs.

Sid pointed over at Roshan, "He can talk and he knows my name!" he said. Diego sighed, "Sid, humans can't talk" he said. He turned to the boy, "Can you?" he asked. Roshan nodded, "uh huh" he said. "See" Diego said turning back to Sid. "What did I tell you--". Diego turned back to Roshan surprised. "Did you just talk!" he asked. Roshan nodded. Now it was Diego's turn for his jaw to drop.

"Cool!" Crash cried, looking absolutely ecstatic about the prospect that the boy could talk. Eddie grinned really big. Manny stood up. "Alright, to really test this we need a question that isn't answerable with yes or no". He turned to the boy. "Ok kid, what's that?" he asked, pointing to Diego.

Roshan looked at Diego and sighed. Why did they have to throw hard words at him when he was just now learning how to form the words the way they said it. "T-i" he started. Everyone leaned forward. Roshan exhaled, ok he could do this! "Ti-Tiger" he said.

Manny, Ellie, Sid and Diego just stared while Crash and Eddie's eyes bugged and jaws dropped. Roshan smiled, he was proud of himself. Maybe now he could say names! Roshan pointed to the tiger and tried again to speak. "D-Die". Diego froze, there was no way that what the kid was about to say could possibly be--. "Diego" Roshan said. The tiger leapt back and looked like he might have a heart attack!

"I told you he knows our names" Sid said. Manny looked surprised "He remembers us?" he said shocked.

Diego walked over to Roshan. "Wh-Who", now Diego was stuttering because he was just now starting to breath again! He took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "Who's that?" he asked pointing at the mammoth.

Roshan smiled, "Manny" he said, this was getting easier! Manny looked shocked. "I know what happened" he said, "Through hanging out with us so much, as a baby and now a kid, the boy's picked up on our language!". Ellie looked shocked, "That's possible!" she asked. Manny shrugged, "Well, I'm looking at the proof right here...".

Diego meanwhile had been shaking his head at all of the bad feelings he got about that prospect. "I don't know if I like the fact that humans might be able to understand us now" he said.

Roshan frowned and looked away. Diego realized his mistake and quickly walked over to the boy. 'Oh no, I didn't mean you" he said "We like you, and I'm actually glad you can talk to us now" he said ruffling the boy's hair. Roshan smiled.

"We'll have to watch what we say now" Manny whispered to Sid, "Too many negative remarks about humans could upset the kid".

Roshan turned and next spotted Ellie and the possums. The boy looked confused, he definitely recognized them from earlier, but not from when he was a baby. Catching the boy's look, Manny quickly explained, "Oh, they're our new friends. We met up with them a while back. Meet Ellie...", here the female mammoth nodded and Roshan smiled, "and, those two are Crash and Eddie" Manny finished, pointing to the possum brothers.

Crash and Eddie each scurried over to sit on Roshan's head, "Pleased to official meet ya!" Crash said. "You bet buddy!" Eddie added. Roshan laughed, "Nice...meet you too" he said in broken animal communication.

"Well, it's morning" Diego said, glancing out at the cave entrance. "Time to move on". "Yup" Sid said, "We still have to save Junior". Roshan looked down at Sid confused, "Junior?". Sid smiled, "Oh, Junior's my little brother. Cutest little sloth in the world" he said proudly, "and well we found out that he got kidnapped by, well humans, so were going to rescue him! Then we will help you find your herd!". "All that and we're also going to avoid the Ice Age" Diego said sarcastically, "It shouldn't be TOO hard!". Roshan smiled, "Like before" he said.

Everyone looked at him. "Yeah" Manny said smiling, "like before".


	9. The Lake

Chapter 9

"And then, when I woke up, junior was gone! No where in sight! Lost forever!", Sid picked up the leaf he had been using as a handkerchief and blew his nose as he told Roshan his story. "I always thought the kid was fond of me" Sid continued, "I never knew he hated me too!". Roshan tried to offer some comfort as Sid continued to ramble on.

"Sid!" Diego said, turning to glare at the sloth. "The kid does not want to hear your pathetic life's story!".

"Really, WE'RE tired of hearing it!" Crash added, earning a warning look from Ellie.

Manny smiled slightly, "So how long are you going to call him 'the kid' until you finally ask him what his name is?" he asked Diego. The tiger looked up at Manny surprised, "oh, right" he said slightly embarrassed. He turned to the kid. "Roshan" the boy said even before Diego had asked the question.

Manny and Diego nodded. "Great, now everybody knows everybody else!" Sid said happily. Diego gave him a strange look. 'What?" Sid said. "Nothing" Diego said as he shook his head, "It's just that only YOU would say something like that". The possum's laughed. Roshan smiled and pet Sid on the head. The sloth looked up at him. "Oh, sorry" Roshan said, "Do I offend you when I do that?".

"Why would you care if you did?" Diego asked, still looking straight ahead. Sid crossed his arms. "No" he said, keeping his gaze on Diego "What offends me is when I don't get the respect I deserve!". Diego smiled, "I do give you the respect you deserve" he said. "No you don't!" Sid argued, "You don't give me ANY respect!". "Exactly" Diego said, smiling wider. Sid narrowed his eyes, "You're a me-e-ean tiger" he said.

Diego suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Oh no!" he said. "What is it?" Manny asked, then he saw it too. There in front of them was a huge frozen lake. "Oh...my!" Ellie said. "Not again" Manny groaned. Roshan sighed. "I did poorly on a ground that was a LITTLE slippery!" he said, 'I don't know about this".

Sid smiled. 'It's easy" he said, taking the boy's hand. "Come on, I'll show you how to glide". "Well, we have to make it across anyway" Manny said, "So let's get started".

Manny, Eliie and Diego cautiously stepped out on the ice. Then they slowly started walking across. Crash and Eddie slid down off Ellie and skidded about on their own, kind of enjoying trying to make it across themselves; they were small enough it worked fairly well. Sid stepped on the ice and then took Roshan's hand and helped him onto it.

"Now then!" Sid said, "Just watch me. Sid zoomed out and glided around a bit before coming back to Roshan. "See, you just scoot!" he said. Roshan nodded. "Can we scoot slowly though?" he asked. "Sure' Sid said.

Diego spread his paws out and slowly moved one foot at a time. As Sid glided around the ice helping Roshan along, he made his way over to the tiger. "Aw, is tiggy wiggy having trouble?' he asked. Roshan tried to suppress a laugh. Diego glared at Sid. "If my paws weren't busy right now, I'd answer you" he growled threateningly.

"Have fun!" Sid called as he took Roshan's hand again and zoomed off, a little faster than the boy would have liked. "I thought you said you were going to go slow!" Roshan protested. "I am" Sid said, "Isn't this slow?". "Not really" Roshan said.

Manny was struggling to move on foot at a time as well as Ellie stuck right by him lest she fell while attempting the same thing. They were both doing ok, until Sid zoomed by so close that he knocked the Manny down and caused Ellie to fall sideways. Roshan closed his eyes, fearing he would be crushed.

The mammoths slammed down onto the ice and Roshan breathed a sigh of relief when he found he wasn't squished. "Hmm, your not very graceful, are you" Sid commented. Manny didn't respond, but instead stood up once more and attempted to pull Ellie up.

"Here, I'll help you!" Sid cried. He let go of Roshan's hand and went around to stand behind where Ellie was. "What about me?" Roshan asked. "Oh, you have the hang of it" Sid replied, 'Manny and Ellie need me more".

"Uh-No!" Manny replied, attempting to keep his footing secure. Sid ignored him and pushed with all his might on Ellie's backside, but the mammoth didn't budge! "Uh, excuse me!" Ellie protested at this method of helping. Roshan sighed and started trying to make his way across the ice himself.

Sid then got a great idea. He walked far away from where Manny and Ellie were. "What are you doing?" Manny asked, trying to catch a good look of Sid as he disappeared from view for a bit. "Helping you" Sid replied, he then started running forward.

Sid actually succeeded in pushing Ellie up or partially up somehow because he caused her to trip and fall down once more, dragging Manny down with her again, and then the both of them go flying across the ice. 'Look out!" Manny cried as they speed towards Diego. He rammed right into the tiger and kept going.

Roshan was fumbling along further down on the ice when he glanced up and saw Manny and Diego come sliding towards him. His eyes went wide and he tried to get out of the way, but he too got rammed into and dragged along. After all this, it wasn't horribly noticeable when they also picked up the possum brothers as well as Roshan hit them further down as well. They quickly scampered up on the boy's head once more.

"Isn't there anyway to stop!" Diego cried as they speed along. "Nope" Manny said. Just then Roshan noticed that they were at least nearing the edge of the lake, the only problem was that they were speeding towards a solid wall of snow!

"This seems vaguely familiar" Roshan commented. Just then they collided with the wall of snow. Roshan got the worst of it hitting the snow face first.

As they brushed the snow off, Sid came gliding up to them. 'so how are you all doing?' he asked smiling. Everyone just looked at him. "Hey Sid, guess what?" Diego said, "My paws are free now". The tiger lifted his front paws out of the snow and showed them to the sloth while a smiled played across his face.

"That's nice" Sid said nervously before taking off with Diego chasing right behind. 


	10. Little Slip Up

Chapter 10 

After traveling a little ways, Diego glanced back at Roshan. "What are you doing!" the tiger asked. Manny and Sid also glanced back at Roshan. The boy was stomping through the snow making his footprints as big as possible.

Roshan glanced up at Diego and smiled. "Just playing" he said. "Playing what?" Diego inquired, "Lead the predators to us". Sid looked worried, "Do you really think he could!" he asked worriedly. "Maybe you should stop that" he told Roshan worriedly.

Manny smiled slightly, "Don't worry, Mr. Jittery" he said. "Diego's just kidding. The kid's foot prints won't lead predators to us any more than your stench would". Sid sighed, "that's a relief--Hey!" He crossed his arms at Manny's insult.

Roshan smiled. "I was just a little bored" he explained, "so I'm pretending I'm a baby mammoth!". Ellie smiled in amusement at this. Manny looked slightly shocked. Roshan turned to Manny smiling, "Aren't I cute!" he asked. "Uh- yeah" Manny said quickly, turned away. Roshan stopped smiling and looked at Manny. "You ok?" he asked. Ellie glanced at him as well now. Manny didn't answer.

"Uh--Roshan" Diego said, causing the boy to look at him. "Maybe you should just drop it. You don't remember the cave with the drawings and you didn't find out what me and Sid found out".

Crash and Eddie looked confused and intrigued by what all this secrecy could be about. "Cave, what cave?" Crash said. "Must have been before we met them" Eddie told his brother. Ellie turned a concerned look Manny's way, "Did something happen?" she asked. Manny shut his eyes and kept his face turned away, not her...he couldn't tell her. Ellie stepped closer, "Manny...come on, you know you can tell me anything". Manny turned to look at her once more, the most uncertain look he'd ever had currently on his face.

"No, I remember the cave" Roshan went on to Diego. He got a slightly far off look on his face and continued. "Yeah, Sid was commenting on all the drawings" he said. "There were tigers and antelopes--Oh yeah, then I got upset and Sid told me they were just playing tag!". Roshan smiled at Sid.

Diego looked surprised, "You remember a lot" he commented, "but maybe we better cut the conversation here". Roshan looked confused. "Why?" he asked. "I remember other stuff to. Like there was also this picture of a baby mammoth.".

Ellie heard this and turned a confused look first to the boy and then back to Manny, who still looked like he didn't know what to say.

Diego cleared his throat at Roshan, but the kid just kept on. "Yeah, I crawled over to it and looked at it" he said, "Then I recognized that it was a mammoth so I looked at Manny and--". The boy paused a minute as pieces started to fit into place.

"Manny looked upset" the boy whispered, "and when I fell on his trunk and he lifted me up he was--". Roshan's eyes went wide as he finally understood the meaning of the cave drawing. He covered his mouth with his hand. Diego sighed. "Finished with the story?" He asked. Roshan looked down and nodded, "Uh-huh" he said.

Manny kept his gaze on Roshan as he noticed the still confused and also sympathetic and worried look Ellie was sending him. He sighed, "Come on" he whispered, "Let's keep going".

"Manny..." Ellie began, taking a step after her friend who was also more. He didn't turn around.

Roshan glanced up at Manny and felt so bad he started to cry. Sid walked over and took the boy's hand. "Come on, you can walk with me" he said, trying to comfort the kid.

Roshan pulled away slightly and shook his head, then he glanced at Manny once again and began to run off. "Hey, kid wait!" Diego called after Roshan, but the boy didn't stop. "You can't get lost!" Crash shouted after him retreating form.

"Boy, he's really feeling guilty!" Sid said.

Manny sighed, "I'll go talk to him" he said. "You sure?" Diego asked. Manny nodded, "yeah". He glanced behind him at Ellie, "and I'll explain on the way" he continued. Ellie nodded, "I'm coming" she began as she dropped both of her possum brothers off with Diego and Sid, "and with the both of us we're sure to find him faster".

Manny nodded, "I only ask you hang back when I do find him...so that I might talk to him". He sighed again, "You'll understand after I explain". Ellie just nodded and followed after Manny as the two of them took off.

"Tell the kid we all love him!" Sid yelled. Diego glanced at Sid, then shook his head. "And that he's a part of the herd!" Sid continued. "And we don't want to lose hi-". Diego clamped his claw on Sid's mouth. "I think he gets the point" he said.

* * *

Ellie stared forward as her feet continued to just move along almost in a trance, yet how else was she suppose to react to Manny having just told her about his old family he'd lost. "Oh Manny..." she gasped. He shut his eyes, pausing for a bit, "Ellie I'm so sorry I didn't tell...". Ellie paused him by laying a trunk on his, "i...it's ok" she said, in a voice that didn't sound completely sincere. Manny bit his lip, "are...are you sure...I mean I'll completely understand if...".

Ellie both reprimanded herself and laid her trunk on Manny's once more, "No Manny, I'm sorry, I had no reason to be even a tad bit insulted...not after how good you've been to me all these years; and of course I understand why you were hesitant to say anything...I only...hope I'm not insulting the memory of your...of Sari" (ooc: yes I made up a name for Manny's old mate).

Manny immediately shook his head, "No of course not, I...I'll always love both of you". Ellie smiled, "I'm glad, and I love you too, but we've wasted enough time on my emotions with a small human child lost on his own. Let's go find Roshan". Manny nodded and they continued on in their search for Roshan.

Manny sighed as he and Ellie continued to follow Roshan's footprints. Even if the boy wasn't playing anymore, he still made footprints that were easy to follow when he ran.

Manny walked on, hoping he would find Roshan soon, before the kid got into any trouble. Suddenly the footprints disappeared though. Manny looked around him confused. Roshan wasn't anywhere in sight, so why did his footprints just stop here?

Manny then looked at the ground closer and found the answer. There, in the snow where clear scuff marks! The kid had scuffed his feet over his footprints while running and covered his tracks! Ellie's eyes went wide as she saw this as well. Manny sighed. "Why did Roshan do that!" He said worriedly. "Doesn't he know better! What if a pack of wolves or tigers or something else came along and we couldn't find him to save him".

Manny shook his head, he wouldn't think about that! He tried calling Roshan's name a few times, and Ellie even joined in, but for all they knew the boy was just not answering him. the two mammoth's tried not to worry as they continued their search.


	11. Confession

Chapter 11

Diego bound across the frozen landscape after Manny and Ellie. Sid and the two possums were perched on his back. Sid smiled as Diego ran at incredible speed. "This is fun!" the sloth yelled. Diego sighed, "Don't get use to it" he warned.

Suddenly Diego spotted the two mammoths up ahead. He ran up to them and noticed, with disappointment, that they didn't have Roshan with them. "You didn't find him yet?" he asked. Manny sighed and shook his head. Diego sighed, "Make way for the expert tracker!" he cried as he pushed past Manny, causing Sid, Crash and Eddie to fall off of his back.

Diego sniffed the air a bit, then put his nose to the ground. He walked around a bit sniffing the ground, when suddenly his eyes went wide. He glanced up and looked straight ahead, "This way!" he cried as he took off running.

"Don't run too fast!" Sid yelled as he and the possums puffed to keep up with Diego, "You might lose us next!". Diego forced himself to slow down. "Only don't go too slow, the kid might be in trouble" Manny said. Diego sighed loudly, "Will you guys make up your mind!" he yelled. Diego kept running until he came to a little river.

"There he is!" he panted relieved. The small party behind him caught up and looked towards the river. Roshan was sitting on the bank, trying to skip stones across the surface of the river. The whole group rushed up to him. "You ok?" Sid asked as he approached the kid. "Yeah, you really shouldn't do that" Crash said. Roshan turned and nodded at Sid's question. The sloth noticed that the boy was smiling really big, but there were also tears in his eyes.

Roshan frowned when he spotted Manny. "I am so sorry!" he said, starting to apologize. "If I had know what the cave drawings meant, I wouldn't have--". Manny smiled and raised his trunk. "It's fine" he said. "Really?" Roshan asked unsurely. Manny nodded.

Sid walked up to Roshan, "Are you ok?" he asked. Roshan looked at him confused, "Huh?". "You're crying" Sid pointed out. Roshan smiled and wiped the tears away. "I'm fine" he explained. "While I was sitting here scolding myself for my little slip up, I started thinking about my mom". Now it was Diego's turn to get a guilty feeling. Roshan turned to the group and whispered excitedly, "I actually remember her now!".

Sid gave Roshan a curious look "And that's--good, right?" he asked. Roshan nodded really big, "Yes, because before I didn't remember her at all, and now I do!". "Oh" Sid said. Ellie smiled a small smile, both a tad bit sad that she didn't have the boy's memory capabilities to be able to remember anything of the herd she came from and also glad that this boy at least could, "That's great, Roshan" she told the boy, in all sincerity.

Diego cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Uh--why don't we--continue on" he said, then he started walking off.

As they walked on Manny glanced up at Roshan as he remembered when he and Sid first stumbled upon the kid and his mother in a river. Diego, meanwhile was lost in thought for a different reason. He could tell by the way that Roshan was still smiling at him every time he looked at him, that the boy didn't know he was responsible for his mother's death. Diego sighed. Sid looked at him. "That's the third sigh in two minutes. What's up?" he asked. "Nothing" Diego replied gruffly as he walked faster.

That night they couldn't find any caves so they stopped to rest out in the open. Sid rushed around gathering sticks. "What are you doing?" Manny asked. "I'm going to make a fire so Roshan doesn't freeze" Sid announced. Crash and Eddie eyebrows immediately shot up in disbelief that the sloth would even try such. "I give him two seconds before he burns himself" Crash muttered. Sid began piling the sticks on the ground.

"I'll help" Roshan said as he got two sticks and knelt by the stick pile. Sid walked over and took the sticks from Roshan. 'Please, I'm an expert" Sid said. He began rubbing the sticks together.

"I've seen my tribe do it allot" Roshan said, "Why not let me help".

"Yeah, come on Sid" Eddie said, "you need all the help you can get". Sid raised a hand while still keeping an eye on the twigs. "I have it under control" he said, "Any minute now a roaring fire will start up!". The others watched as Sid continued to rub the twigs together over and over and over again.

After a while Sid's rubbing slowed down and he got slower and slower until he finally stopped rubbing and plopped down on the stick pile. He was so tried from trying to start a fire that he fell asleep where he fell.

"Figures" Manny mumbled before trying to go to sleep himself. Crash and Eddie just rolled their eyes and settled down to go to sleep on top of Ellie. Roshan smiled, Sid certainly was one in a million.

Roshan then noticed that Diego was lying off by himself. True, he always did that. But tonight Roshan could tell something was wrong. He walked over to Diego. "You ok?" he asked. Diego looked up surprised. "Huh--Oh, yeah" he said. Roshan sat down by the tiger. "Come on, something's bothering you" he said. Diego sighed and looked down. "I suppose I should tell you" he said.

"Do you remember the waterfall?" Diego asked, still looking down. Roshan looked shocked, "From when I was a baby?". Diego nodded. Roshan looked straight ahead, "Y--Yeah" he said, "I remember the whole attack".

Diego sighed, "then why don't you remember my part of it" he asked, looking at the boy. Roshan looked confused, but slightly uncomfortable. "Your--Your part?" he asked. "that I--I was the saber who--chased you and your mother" Diego said, then in a whisper "and eventually killed her". Roshan gasped and looked away. "When I was remembering the attack I remembered you being the saber that attacked us" he said, " but I thought I imagined it".

Diego looked down, "So there you have it. From the start you were always so fond of me, even took your first steps towards me, when I was the enemy". Roshan looked thoughtful for a minute, then looked back at Diego. "You still saved me from the other sabers at Half Peak" he said, smiling.

Diego turned to look at the boy, "How do you remember this stuff!" he asked shocked. Roshan smiled, "I liked you guys so much, I guess it just stuck in my mind". Diego shook his head in disbelief. "Anyway" Roshan said, "You still stood up to your whole pack and almost gave your life for me, Manny and Sid. The way I see it, that's a true friend".

Roshan then hugged Diego. Diego looked shocked, then smiled. After that, Roshan stretched and lay down next to Diego. 


	12. Almost There

Chapter 12

The next morning, As everyone else was just waking up, Diego came bounding back over to where they were. Apparently he had woken up early to scout out the area.

"Great news!" he called as he ran over, "Guess what I found!". "It better not be a shortcut" Manny said. Roshan smiled. "It's not!" Diego sighed, "Just follow me". Over on the pile of sticks, Sid rolled over. "Just 5 more minutes" he said sleepily.

"It's about Junior" Diego called. Sid's eyes popped open and he rushed over to the others. "I'm ready" he said. Diego lead them over to a set of footprints and pointed. There in the snow were the footprints of some humans with those of a young sloth's between them.

"It's the ones who took Junior!" Sid cried. Diego showed them a bent branch on a bush. "It's still green" he said, "so they should be just up ahead". "let's go save Junior!" Sid said. He started marching off, following the footprints. The others followed. "So, think we'll get to see the lecture for running off?" Crash whispered over to Eddie about when they finally found Junior, Ellie immediately sent her two brothers a look that told them to behave.

"When we find them" Roshan said, "I'll translate for you".

Diego stopped and turned to the boy. "That reminds me" he said, 'Since we will be near humans again, maybe you should keep our little secret". "You mean the fact that I can talk to you?" Roshan asked. "Exactly!" Diego said. "Why?" the boy asked. 'Well" Diego said, "You being able to understand and speak to us is great, but I don't want other humans learning it".

"Yeah, I agree" Manny said. "Ok" Roshan said, smiling slightly at their determination on this subject "It's our little secret". "Good" both Manny and Diego said before walking on. Roshan turned to Ellie, but the female mammoth just shrugged, "I don't know why the guys are so adamant about this, I honestly hadn't thought of it. But I guess humans still just don't hold a good reputation in and of themselves" she said gently. Roshan nodded, "Oh...well, yeah, I noticed that...maybe my being able to talk to animals though will change that" the boy then put in optimistically. Ellie smiled, "I hope so".

As the group continued on, following the footprints, they suddenly heard a sound.

"Wolves!" Sid screamed as he scurried behind Manny. "I thought you were the brave, heroic older brother who would stand up to anything to save Junior?" Manny asked. "I never said you couldn't help!" Sid replied.

Diego got in front of Roshan and prepared to face the wolves. Ellie made sure her brothers were secure up on her back. Roshan looked ahead, a bit worried, when suddenly he noticed something! The wolves had come into sight and were charging towards the group.

Roshan stepped out, but Diego pulled him back. "It's ok" Roshan said, "I've got it under control". He stepped out in front of the group and waited as the wolves got closer. Then he clapped his hands together once very fast and shouted, "Heel!", in the language the humans used.

The wolves immediately stopped and sat down, but continued to growl at the group behind the boy. Roshan frowned and snapped his fingers. The wolves reluctantly stopped. Roshan smiled and knelt down, patting the snow next to him a bit.

The female out in front slowly walked up to Roshan. The boy patted her head and then leaned down and whispered to her for a while. The wolf looked up at the boy shocked. Roshan whispered something else to her, and then pointed behind him at Manny and Sid. Diego was hidden behind the rest of the group.

The wolf nodded, then walked over to the rest of the pack and seemed to be talking to them. The other wolves nodded and sat down. "Well, so long as your not in danger" one of the males said. Roshan smiled.

"I'm guessing these wolves are with you?' Manny said. "or else he's a good negotiator" Eddie mumbled. Roshan nodded yes to Manny's question. "I just got through explaining the situation to them. I also told them you were the same group that returned me as a baby".

Ellie smiled, "Well we really can't take credit for...".

"And may I give you a thank you for both then and now" the female told them, "both you and your friends who helped out in this situation" she added, turning to Ellie. The female mammoth smiled and gave a nod of courtesy, "Glad to help, he's a sweet kid" she answered. "and a cool little brother!" Crash whispered, having already all but adopted the boy himself, he just hadn't mentioned this to Roshan yet...but that was only a tiny detail.

"If you're with Roshan's herd" Sid said, "then does that mean they're near here?". "Just up there" the wolf replied, indicating where they had come running from. "So the kid's tribe is the one that kidnapped Junior!" Sid said confused.

"So, that thing's yours!" a male wolf commented, smiling slightly. "No, they didn't kidnap him. The boy and that young sloth simply got--switched". "Oh" Sid said. 'Then let's switch them back" Manny said. "Follow us" the female said.

"I think I'll hang back here" Diego told Sid, Manny and Roshan. All three of them understood and nodded. "Sure you don't want me to try and clear your name?' Roshan offered. "No thanks" Diego said. Roshan sighed, "Ok".

Roshan decided to climb onto Manny's back one last time, Then everyone but Diego started following the wolves. 


	13. Home at Last

Chapter 13

Meanwhile, Mata was struggling with the charge he had been forced to baby sit, Junior. Right now the sloth was having fun trying to rip Mata's hair out! "How long do I have to put up with this thing!" Mata complained. "I told you! Until we figure out what to do with it" Roshan's father replied. He continued to scan the area.

Suddenly the wolves came running up to the two men. The wolves rushed past to join the rest of the tribe further on. As they past, the female stopped to smile at the two men, like she knew something they didn't.

Soon Manny appeared into view in front of them. He walked up to Roshan's father and Mata. They stood there staring at each other, even Junior had stopped pulling Mata's hair and was still.

Roshan smiled really big when he saw them and immediately slid off Manny's back. Both his father and Mata looked shocked to see him, then they rushed over and hugged him. Tipa quickly popped into view from among the adults as well. "Roshan!" he called, rushing forward and giving the younger boy a hug of his own.

When Mata rushed over to Roshan, Junior fell down. The little sloth stood up and dusted himself off, then he spotted Sid. "Sid!" he cried, he rushed over and hugged his big brother. "I thought I lost you when I got mixed up with the migrating group!" he said.

Roshan's father looked over at Manny. He smiled as he recognized the mammoth. He and Manny held gazes for a while, then they both nodded at each other. This solemn atmosphere was broken as Tipa suddenly rushed forward and hugged Manny around his foreleg as hard as he could, everyone froze. Tipa just continued hugging Manny's leg as he glanced up at the mammoth with tears streaming down his face, "Thank you...again, thank you...and I'm sorry" the older boy whispered.

Manny stared at the pre-teen for a while and then glanced over to Roshan, looking like he would very much like a translation. Roshan repeated, as inconspicuously to the others as he could, what Tipa had said in what sounded like a cough as he covered his mouth. Manny caught it though, and a touched and sad look came across his face. He reached down and, dislodging the boy gently, stoked the side of his face slightly as if to communicate his own acceptance. Tipa smiled, getting the point and nodded. With one final stroke to Manny's trunk, he then turned and walked back over to the tribe.

After that, Roshan's father took his hand and they started to walk off. Manny and Sid sighed and started to leave with Junior.

Suddenly Roshan stopped and ran over to them. "Wait!" he called as he reached them. Sid smiled, "I knew you wouldn't leave without saying goodbye" he cried as he leapt up and hugged the boy. " but it is goodbye, isn't it?" he added sadly.

Roshan lowered his head, "I guess so" he said, "And it's harder than last time". A few tears dropped onto the boy's cheeks. Manny looked away sadly, then sighed. "Ok, I have an idea" he said, "What if we always stay close enough for Roshan to find, but the tribe won't ever see us", his gaze went over to Tipa's slightly..."well, almost all of the tribe, it doesn't matter if the boy sees us".

Roshan smiled, "That's great!". "I love that idea" Sid cried happily. Roshan then gave Manny and Sid a small farewell hug and pet Junior, "Good luck Junior, take care" he said. "You too" Junior said.

Roshan then walked off and joined his tribe. Manny, Sid and Junior walked off as well to go tell the others of the plan, they were sure there wouldn't be any protests to it. 


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue 

Tipa smiled as he took a seat across from where Roshan sat at the campfire. "So...you want to know what that whole thing with the mammoth today was?" he asked. Roshan laughed, "Yes, that's why I've asked you for the story ten times now!". Tipa smiled again, "Ok, it all began back when I was about 5 years old...just before the tribe found me..."

_8-9 years earlier_

_All around the snow covered landscape the snow fell in a perfect blanket of white. It was smooth, even and beautiful. That is until the young boy ran across the hill, messing up the beautiful scene with his footprints. But the Ice Age will forgive him, after all, the scene had to be messed up sooner or later._

_The boy smiled as he raced across the hill, for no other reason then to see how much speed he could gain. One would wonder how this boy could be so carefree, considering the fact that he had been an orphan and without any tribe at all since...well since he could remember. He didn't even have a name!_

_The boy was hardly aware of his problems though and ran on until finally he was so tired he plopped down on the ground, smiling as he caught his breath. He rolled over on his back and stared at the sky. As he watched the clouds pass by he did what most kids do, and imagined what pictures or things they looked like._

_Suddenly the perfect scene was shattered by the sound of angry and frightened bellows. The boy jumped up startled and looked around him, trying to find where the sound came from. He raced over to the edge of the hill._

_There in the valley below, some hunters had targeted a family of three mammoths. The first group of hunters where keeping the male at bay, while the second group chased the female and calf. The boy watched as the hunters trapped the female and calf against a cliff._

_It was only then that the boy noticed that the hunters were actually divided into three groups, not two like he had originally thought. The third group terrorized the female and calf further by raining down boulders on them. The boy's eyes went wide as he saw the female and calf buckle under the assault of the boulders._

_The mammoth, Manny's, grieving bellows filled the whole valley. The boy had seen enough, he rushed down into the valley and ran between the second group of hunters and the female with her calf. "Stop!" he cried as he pushed some of their spears aside._

_One of the hunters sighed, "Move it kid, we're working here!". The boy glanced back at the terrorized female mammoth and calf. He crossed his arms stubbornly and didn't move. Another hunter, in the group holding back Manny, sighed. "Will someone get that pest out of here!" he complained while trying to restrain Manny._

_"Come on kid, beat it" another hunter in the second group said, pushing him aside. The boy got back up and stood there with his arms crossed. The hunter who had addressed him first looked annoyed. "I--said--beat it!" he shouted. the hunters began to try and push the boy aside. The boy fought back as hard as he could._

_As this struggle took place, the first group of hunters were also having problems. With a huge bellow, Manny plowed past the humans keeping him back and charged the ones terrorizing his family. The second group of hunters stopped trying to push past the boy and watched worriedly as the mammoth charged towards them. Those on the top of the cliff fled. The boy tried to get away, but he was trapped against the cliff with the hunters blocking all his exits._

_Manny had witnessed the whole scene, though, while trying to get past the first group of hunters and knew of the boy's actions. The boy was in no danger of being injured purposefully; Yet, when a mammoth is angry, anything can happen!_

_"Stand your ground!" the leader of the second group of hunters yelled, the others tried to obey bravely. As Manny approached, the leader remained firm and didn't call for a retreat until it was too late. The hunters were injured greatly as Manny continued to try and drive them away. After taking all they could stand, the crippled group of hunters ran off._

_Manny felt satisfied, until he noticed his mistake. In his attack, he had injured one he hadn't meant to. The boy gasped painfully as he slowly pushed himself up and crawled over bruised and bleeding to lean against the cliff . He sat there breathing heavily and wincing at the pain he was in._

_He glanced over at the still forms of the female and calf and could tell they were dead. He watched sadly as Manny walked up and grieved over the loss of his family. After a while Manny turned and looked straight at the boy. The mammoth felt guilty at the sight before him. He slowly took a step near the boy._

_The boy's eyes went wide in fear as Manny approached him; He tried to scoot away from him. Manny paused slightly when he noticed the boy was afraid of him. The boy stood up and started to run off. Manny frowned slightly in pity as he saw the boy trip and fall as he ran._

_The boy picked himself up though and ran on. Manny sighed and shook his head, then turned his attention back to his fallen family._

Tipa remained silent for the longest time as Roshan just stared. "I...I stumbled along after that, and pretty soon Mata and your...our mother I suppose, found me and brought me back to the tribe. I never saw the mammoth again, until the day came you were thought dead along with her after that saber chased after her and you. Small as I was, I tried to stop him from getting to you by grabbing his tail, but he just slashed me aside and took off after your mother...next time I saw you, it was when the tribe had all but given up hope and were about to cross over into Glacier Pass, and you were safely in the trunk of a mammoth I most definitely knew...he did what I couldn't do for him" the older boy chocked out.

After a few moments, Tipa glanced over to Roshan to gauge his reaction and the boy was sitting there with a mix of awe, joy and shock on his face. He then shook his head to clear his thoughts and smiled up at this boy whom he'd all but adopted as his older brother, "Tipa...I think you have enough understanding to really appreciate a story I have to tell you" Roshan said with a grin, "oh who am I kidding, you have enough experience in certain things to deserve to hear it!" the boy went on, "it's about...what happened that time I disappeared as a baby, and this time...and I guarantee you you'll never view one certain saber tooth we both know the same way again after you hear it".

In the end, after he'd told all of both stories, Roshan was proud and impressed at how quickly Tipa's first sentence after hearing all that was, "Well, next time you see him, tell that saber tooth...Diego?...that I'm very sorry for every bad thought I've ever thought about him all these years".


End file.
